Horror film fans, indie lovers and tourists will all find movies to suit them.

A new movie theater is making its premiere at the burgeoning SteelStacks campus.

But don't expect to see blockbusters such as "Transformers II."

The Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas — opening April 15 — has plans for something much less mainstream for its two theaters. Its 365-day a year repertoire will include independent films, foreign films, documentaries and scientific films that patrons can savor along with a selection of beer and wine from the concession stand. There will also be a discussion series with directors, actors and professors, weekend horror shows at midnight, rock docs and films accompanied by live musicians.

"It'll be something that isn't formulaic," says programmer Ryan Hill, "something that causes people to think and talk."

The Alehouse Cinema wants to be a new theater that may show old films. The theaters — 100 and 200 seats each with fabric seats set up stadium style — won't elicit nostalgia, Hill says.

Neither will its ticket prices — $9.50 for regular admission, $8.50 for veterans with ID, $7.50 for students and seniors and $7 for ArtsQuest members.

Moviegoers can enjoy their beverages alongside the typical theater offerings of candy and snacks, as well as lunch and dinner fare like burgers, paninis, sausage links and Mexican favorites at the center's Mike And Ike Bistro.

There's lots of research to support the idea of a new art house theater in Bethlehem. Currently, the only art house theater in the Lehigh Valley is Civic Theatre's 19th Street Theatre in Allentown.

There's a ready-made audience of about 25,000 students in the Lehigh Valley. And baby boomers are coming back to the movies in throngs, says Hill.

And as independent films exercised near total domination at the Oscars, the excitement over them is palpable.

Programming is a complicated job.

The art house businesses runs week to week, Hill says. "We have a booker based in New Jersey, who will basically work with me every week, seeing what's coming up and what's going to break."

Independent films are often released for a week or two in New York and Los Angeles, and if the films do well, the production companies consider expanding into other urban markets, he says. Bethlehem is a part of the Philadelphia market.

If a film tanks in New York, it's off the table. If it sells "like bonkers," as Hill puts it, you may not only see it at the art house but also at local theaters that most often stick to the big studio films. In current parlance, that's a "Black Swan" or a "King's Speech" situation

Some community members will make up a sort-of impromptu cinema committee, where they'll offer advice on some of the films shown at festivals, like the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

"That will be kind of like an earpiece for me," he says. "I have a final say but I'll be talking to them quite a bit."

Already Hill has talked to film buffs and neophytes. He learned actors like Sean Penn are polarizing characters — you either love 'em or you hate 'em. Most people he spoke with hadn't seen as many foreign films, which means there is going to be "more of a learning curve" for foreign showings, Hill says.

And though he'll be looking primarily at indie films, not every indie film will make the cut.

" 'Twilight' is an indie film, it's the biggest grossing indie film of all time. Am I going to play 'Twilight'? No," he says.

Plans call for discussions on Tuesday, Rock Docs on Thursdays, horror films on the weekends and daily showings of "Bethlehem: The Christmas City," a 30-minute look at the history of Bethlehem by Lou Reda of Easton.

Hill wants to make the Alehouse the place to be after First Fridays at the SteelStacks.

On First Fridays, Hill wants to book local bands playing in front of films, either over the dialogue or as a soundtrack. "I want it to be more fluid," Hill says. On Friday, June 3, for example, the band Great White Caps will perform in front of "Point Break."

And the reels won't stop during festivals in Bethlehem. During Musikfest, for example, there will not only be regular cinema programming, but also artists' workshops and presentations, Hill says.